Outdoor fluorescent light holder



June 11, 1963 H. CHRISTY 3,093,321

OUTDOOR FLUORESCENT LIGHT HOLDER Filed June 16, 1961 INV EN TOR. mm Ch;

United States Patent 3,093,321 OUTDQOR FLUGRESCENT LIGHT HGLDER Howard L. Christy, 4616 N. 12th St, lhoenix, Ariz. Filed June 16, 1961, Ser. No. 117,796 2 Claims. (Cl. 240-25) This invention concerns an outdoor fluorescent light holder of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,976,399 issued March 21, 1961.

One of the objects of this invention is to hold a group of fluorescent lights in a manner so that they may be attached to a pole or other outdoor support and held vertically, or at an angle so that the light produced will be distributed over a large area.

Another object is to provide a holder for a group of fluorescent lights so that they will be held in parallel spaced relation and their light distributed over a wide area for outdoor illumination; said holder being provided with a base which includes the necessary ballasts for the lights and is ventilated so that the ballasts are adequately cooled by natural air circulation and convection.

Still another object is to provide a holder for fluores cent tubular lights which may be easily attached to a pole or other outdoor support and which has a base containing ballast for the lights which is constructed to have natural air convection and circulation to keep the ballast cool and within safe operating temperature even though the case wherein it is contained is tipped at an angle from the vertical, said angle being so great as to approach the horizontal.

Still another object is to provide a holder having a cylindrical base and top and means in said base ttor attachment to a pole so that the device may be used outdoors and said top being water proof and said base provided with means to keep the water from entering the interior where the ballast units are supported.

Still another object is to provide a fluorescent holder, as above described, which is adapted to receive and hold a reflective shield to direct the light from the bank of fluorescent lights in any direction desired.

*Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I attain the foregoing objects by means of the devices, parts and combinations of parts shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of holder embodying my improvements;

FIGURE 2 is a side view thereof showing the holder at an angle which the construction herein concerned makes possible;

FIGURE 3 is an example of a mounting of the fluores cent lights and holder showing a mounting which approaches the horizontal and which is workable when used with the construction herein disclosed;

FIGURE 4- is a sectional elevational view of the case and tube holder which is at the bottom of the tube holder structure, said section being taken on line 44 of FIG- URE 6, and drawn on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section of the supporting case of the fluorescent light holder, taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, and drawn on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the bottom of the fluorescent light holding case, as shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the light holder taken substantially on line 77 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the bottom face of the top case.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts views.

The holder consists generally of a bottom case 2, a top case 3 and a tubular support 4 which connects the two cases and forms a means for attaching the holder to a supporting pole or other object.

a fluorescent light in the several ice The case 2 is cylindrical and has sidewalls 5 covered at each end. The circular cover 6 is fitted into the case bottom and circular cover 7 covers the top. The top and bottom have flanges 8 at their edges which fit over the ends of the cylindrical body 5 of the case.

The bottom cover 6 is perforated with a number of ventilating holes 10, as shown, for example, in FIGURE 6. In addition to the ventilating holes, bottom cover 6 is provided with a central hole to receive the tubular central support 4. The bottom cover 6 is further provided with an opening 14 for the electric line wires 15.

The top 7 cover is provided with a hole 16 for the central tubular support 19 and with holes 20 to receive the sockets 21 which hold the bottom ends for the fluorescent lighting tubes 22. The top case 3 has a bottom cover 24 which is perforated to receive the holding sockets 25 at the tops of the fluorescent lighting tubes 22 and a number of ventilating holes 23. The top cover 27 of the top case 3 is impertorate and weather proof. The sides 25 of the top case 3 are joined to the top cover 27, as well as the bottom closure 24 in any convenient weather proof manner. The holes for the top sockets 25 are disposed so as to be in register with the mating holes of tube sockets donned in the top 7 of the bottom case 2.

Within the bottom case body 5 there are the necessary electrical elements 34 to which the lamps 22 are con nected. Elements 30 include ballast windings. Ballast windings are disposed within cases 31 according to the usual practice and only the cases are shown in the present drawing. This is for the reason that the structure of the core and windings of the standard ballast units are well known to the art.

The cases 31, containing the ballast windings are attached to the central flat area 29 of radiating and supporting plates 32. These plates are, in turn, secured to the central tubular columns 4 and 19 by channel brackets 33. These channel brackets are attached to separate tubes 4 and 19 in spaced relation. This provides a ventilating opening 12.

The supporting :baflie plates 32 extend beyond the flat central area 29 where the ballast units are attached and are bent at an angle to extend outward, substantially radially, and act as radiating fins. These are marked 35 and 35' on the left and right side, respectively, of the ballast units 3%)". These fins also act as air directive surfaces. The bafl'le plates 32 are preferably each made [of one piece of sheet aluminum which has the central area 29 as a base for the cases 31 of the ballast units 3i while fins 35 and 35 on each side of area 29, extend outward and into the area 36 which is within the case body 5 and through which air is circulated by reason of the perforations in the case bottom 6. This air enters opening 12 and ascends through tube .19 into top case 3 and thence outward through holes 23 in the bottom closure cover of top case 3.

Heretofore, ballast units have been mounted in areas positioned in dead air spaces within the mounting boxes of the fluorescent lamps. When so constructed heat could only be dissipated from the ballast units by radiation. With my structure, as above explained, heat is removed from the ballast units 30 not only by radiation but by contact with air circulating over the surfaces of ballast units 30, the fins 35 and 35'. This structure will dispel and carry \oif heat generated when the cases and lamps are either in a vertical position, as shown in FIGURE 1, or in a semi-horizontal position, as shown in FIGURE 3. The surface area of fins 35 and 35' is made suflicient to carry ofi the heat generated. The substance of these fins and base 29 is made of highly heat conductive metal and, therefore, any heat passing 3 through the cases of the ballast units will be carried by conduction from area 29 to the area of the fins.

While I have described and numbered only one ballast unit, such as 30, it is to be understood that ballast units 30a and 30b are the same and the base and fins on which they are supported are the same. Any number of ballast units desired may be used in the case body so long as they are not so crowded as to prevent free circulation of air over the fin surfaces. It is to be un derstood that if desired the fin surfaces may be made double, having two layers, so that their radiating area and capacity will be increased.

The supporting tube marked 4 at the bottom and 19 at the top is separated within the case 5 and held in place by the channel brackets 33 so as to provide a substantially continuous supporting tube. The separation of the ends 33:: and 33b provides an opening 34 through which air from case 5 can enter. After entering the space 34 the air ascends through the tubular portion 19 which acts as a chimney and enters the top case 3. From top case 3 the air exits through the various ventilation openings 23 in the bottom closure or cover of case 3. Due to this structure air passes over the cooling fins 3S and 35 of baffle plates 32 in sufficient volume to cool them and carry oil the heat from the ballast units. Even though the holder may be tilted to a degree approaching the horizontal, as shown in FIGURE 3, there is still enough convection of air to cool the ballast and other parts of the unit and, therefore, the unit is practical for all outdoor purposes Whether mounted vertically, as shown in FIGURE 1, or at an angle, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

I claim:

1. An outdoor fluorescent light holder comprising a lower case, an upper case, each case having top closures and bottom closures, a tubular support extending through and connecting said cases and providing means for support, tubular fluorescent lighting elements having their respective ends operatively supported in the adjacent end closures of said lower and upper cases respectively; said tubular support having two parts longitudinally separated within said lower case, a plurality of channel brackets disposed around the adjacent ends of said tubular support parts within said lower case holding said tube parts in spaced and axially aligned relation, radiating and supporting plates having flat central areas to receive and support ballast cases, centrally attached vertically to each of said channel brackets respectively, and having radiating ballle plates on each side of said central area extending angularly outward from said central areas, attached to said channel brackets, and ballast units attached to said supporting plates and operatively connected to said lighting units; the bottom closure of said lower case and the bottom closure of said upper case being perforated with a plurality of ventilating holes so that air will circulate through said bottom case upward through said tubular support and outward through the bottom closure of said top case.

2. An outdoor fluorescent light holder comprising a cylindrical lower case, a cylindrical upper case, each case having circular top closures and bottom closures, a tubular supporting pipe extending axially through said cases providing means for support, tubular fluorescent lighting sockets operatively supported in the adjacent end closures of said lower and upper cases, fluorescent lighting elements having their ends held in said sockets and extending between said cases; said tubular supporting pipe having a cross separation to provide a vent opening within the lower case, a plurality of channel brackets disposed around the cross separation of the tubular supporting pipe within said lower case, the end portions of said channel brackets being attached to the respective adjacent ends of said pipe on each side of the separation, radiating battle plates having fiat central areas attached to said channel brackets, ballast units attached to the central areas of said bafile plates, and operatively connected to said lighting units; the bottom closure of said lower case and the bottom closure of said upper case being perforated with a plurality of ventilating holes so that air will circulate through said bottom case upward through said tubular support and outward through the bottom closure of said top case.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,511,440 Long June 13, 1950 2,641,687 Akely June 9, 1953 2,886,699 Harling May 12, 1959 2,976,399 Christy Mar. 21, 1961 

1. AN OUTDOOR FLUORESCENT LIGHT HOLDER COMPRISING A LOWER CASE, AN UPPER CASE, EACH CASE HAVING TOP CLOSURE AND BOTTOM CLOSURES, A TUBULAR SUPPORT EXTENDING THROUGH AND CONNECTING SAID CASES AND PROVIDING MEANS FOR SUPPORT, TUBULAR FLUORESCENT LIGHTING ELEMENTS HAVING THEIR RESPECTIVE ENDS OPERATIVELY SUPPORTED IN THE ADJACENT END CLOSURES OF SAID LOWER AND UPPER CASES RESPECTIVELY; SAID TUBULAR SUPPORT HAVING TWO PARTS LONGITUDINALLY SEPARATED WITHIN SAID LOWER CASE, A PLURALITY OF CHANNEL BRACKETS DISPOSED AROUND THE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR SUPPORT PARTS WITHIN SAID LOWER CASE HOLDING SAID TUBE PARTS IN SPACED AND AXIALLY ALIGNED RELATION, RADIATING AND SUPPORTING PLATES HAVING FLAT CENTRAL AREAS TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT BALLAST CASES, CENTRALLY ATTACHED VERTICALLY TO EACH OF SAID CHANNEL BRACKETS RESPECTIVELY, AND HAVING RADIATING BAFFLE PLATES ON EACH SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL AREA EXTENDING ANGULARLY OUTWARD FROM SAID CENTRAL AREAS, ATTACHED TO SAID CHANNEL BRACKETS, AND BALLAST UNITS ATTACHED TO SAID SUPPORTING PLATES AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID LIGHTING UNITS; THE BOTTOM CLOSURE OF SAID LOWER CASE AND THE BOTTOM CLOSURE OF SAID UPPER CASE BEING PERFORATED WITH A PLURALITY OF VENTILATING HOLES SO THAT AIR WILL CIRCULATE THROUGH SAID BOTTOM CASE UPWARD THROUGH SAID TUBULAR SUPPORT AND OUTWARD THROUGH THE BOTTOM CLOSURE OF SAID TOP CASE. 